Man sentenced for Graham arson expressed fear of fire

GRAHAM — A 60-year-old man who pleaded guilty last month to setting a string of fires in his neighborhood, including at a Graham preschool, was sentenced Monday and placed on house arrest.

Joe Dean Smith, 60, of Ray Street, Graham, pleaded guilty Jan. 23 to two counts of burning of school house, two counts of burning personal property, one count of second-degree arson and insurance fraud. All of the acts occurred in August and September.

Smith’s sentencing was delayed so he could be evaluated for possible mental health treatment.

Court documents submitted during Monday’s sentencing showed a history of treatment for mental illness. Someone had stolen his prescription medication shortly before the incidents last summer and he was unable to take them as prescribed, he said.

He also expressed an extreme fear of fire. Smith was hospitalized in a burn unit of a Texas hospital for a year when he was 14 after a barrel of flammable liquid exploded next to him and burned a large portion of his body. He said he would never start a fire because of that incident.

In his evaluation, Smith said he had no memory of starting any fires but that on Sept. 8 — the morning fire crews responded to Head Start, at 620 Ray St. — he did recall walking his dog near the preschool. The document said he stuffed paper towels he had with him in a crevice of the building’s exterior and lit them in a “spur of the moment decision.”

He denied starting several fires inside a Ray Street apartment Sept. 4, and said that witnesses noted “four black males seen running away” from that scene. He pleaded guilty to the second-degree arson to get a plea deal.

He also denied setting fire to his own van Aug. 15. He filed insurance claims for that incident, but fire inspectors found the fire was intentionally set beneath a seat inside.

He also pleaded guilty to a second count of attempting to burn the Head Start building on Sept. 24 and setting a Dumpster on fire that day.

Superior Court Judge James E. Hardin Jr. issued a suspended 19- to 29-month sentence with 144 days’ credit for time spent in jail. Smith was ordered to remain on probation for five years, remain in psychotherapy, continue taking all his prescribed medication, pay $3,284.50 in court costs, attorney fees and restitution and not be at the Head Start building or at any Graham Housing property.

Smith will be on electronic house arrest for the first six months of his probation and will remain on electronic monitoring for another six months, Hardin ordered.